Building construction



July 3, 1923.

M. R. SHEEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Abril 50 an vc n foz Milton/Roy Sheen Patented July 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,460,516 PATEN OFFICE.

MILTON BOY SHEEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 30, 1920. Serial No. 377,756.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON ROY SHEEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in building construction and particularly building block suitable for tunnel or sewer construction. The object of my invention is to construct a double end, or reversible block, having side edge faces provided with tongues and grooves formed therein with the face of the tongue extendin at an oblique angle to the side face of the block on which the tongue is formed for interlocking with adjacent blocks and for simultaneously expanding the structure as it is formed; a further object'of my invention i to form the block with a channel extending across the face thereof, adapted to receive the shoulders thus formed upon other blocks of adjacent courses; and a still further object of my invention is to provide a reinforced block adapted to withstand the tension dueto the expansion of the structure. My invention also relates to further improvements in building construction for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,336,789, were issued to me on the thirteenth day of A ril, 1920.

eferring to the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wedge shaped block; Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a central section of a block having an interlocking channel formed in one face thereof and showing reinforcing bars or rods moulded in the block; Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4; Figs. 6 and 7 are plan and end views, respectively, of a portion of a tunnel, showing my improved blocks forming an outer casing and a lining; and Fig. 8 is an end view of a portion of a tunnel having three interlocked courses of blocks.

In the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts, 1 represents my improved building block, which is a hexagonal block, having forward and rearward ends 2 and 3 which are symmetrical to each other with respect to the line AB, as an axis, thus forming a double end wedge shaped block.

Each side face 4, 5, 6 and 7, of the block is provided with atongue 8, which extends one half the length of the side face of the block and at an oblique angle thereto. The remaining half of the side face of the block is provided with a groove 10 adapted to receive the tongue of an adjacent block. When the blocks are being placed together, as shown in Fig. 6, with hardening plasticmaterial placed between them, it has been found that said material is more effectively forced into all the spaces between the blocks by having the tongues 8 on the blocks extending at an obli ue angle to the surface of the block on w ich the tongue is formed.

The block 1 is provided with a channel 12 adapted to receive the projecting shoulders 13 of two adjacent blocks of another course of blocks. The blocks are placed in the structure to form a tunnel so that the channels 12 extend longitudinally, or parallel with the arrow, Fig. 6. The wedge shaped blocks are so placed in the structure that when pressure is applied to the ends of the blocks, in the direction of the arrow, the circular structure will expand until the projecting shoulders 13 on the blocks of the outer casing 15 will interlock with the inner course of blocks 16 forming the lining, as shown in Fig. 7.

For heavy tunnel construction, an intermediate course of blocks 18 is used, as shown in Fig. 8. The blocks 20 forming the course 18 are provided upon opposite faces with channels 21 and shoulders 23, thus forming a block which is I-shaped in cross-section, adapted to interlock with the shoulders and channels of the outer casing 15 and the inner lining 16. i

The interlocking block are made of hardening plastic material and have embedded therein reinforcing bars of iron or steel to strengthen the blocks. The reinforcing bars are embedded in the block, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The said bars 26 and 27 extend parallel with the channels 12 or 21 formed in the face of the blocks and are located adjacent to the shoulders 13 or 23, which interlock with adjacent blocks. Extending at right angles to the bars 26 and 27 are bars 29 having turned ends 30 which extend around the bars 26 and 27 and hook over the latter or terminate adjacent thereto.

The building blocks reinforced in this manner, when placed in a structure as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, will have increased tensile strength and the structure will have more strength to resist pressure from within the sewer tending to break or separate the blocks formin the structure.

It vvi 1 be understood that I do not limit my invention to the use of any particular form of reinforcing members, as expanded metal may be used in place of the bars or rods without departin from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A building block having opposite end edge surface, converging side edge surfaces adjacent to each of said end surfaces, a tongue formed on each side edge surface extending throughout a portion of the length of the said side edge surface, and said block having a groove formed in each side edge surface extending throughout the portion thereof not occupied by the tongue, said blocks adapted to be forced endwise into a structure formed of similar blocks placed edge to edge.

2. A building block having opposite end edge surfaces, converging side edge surfaces adjacent to each of said end surfaces, a tongue formed on each side edge surface extending throughout a portion of the length of the said side edge surface, said tongue converging at a different angle in relation to the angle of the said side edge surfaces of the block, and said side edge surfaces having grooves formed therein, extending throughout the portion thereof not occupied by the tongue. said blocks adapted to be forced endwise into a structure formed of similar blocks placed edge to edge.

3. A double end Wedge shaped block having end edge surfaces, converging side edge surfaces adjacent to each of said end surfaces, tongues formed upon the said side edge surfaces extending at an oblique angle to the said side edge surfaces, on which it is positioned and occupying a portion of the length of the said side edge surface, and said block having grooves formed in the portion of the side edge surfaces not occupied by the tongues and extending in alignment with the tongues, said blocks adapted to be forced endwiseinto a structure formed of similar blocks placed edge to edge.

4. A hexagonal building block having end edge surfaces, converging side edge surfaces forming adouble end wedged shaped block adapted to be forced endwise into a structure formed of similar blocks arranged edge to edge, a second course of blocks laid face to face with the blocks of the first mentioned course, said blocks having projections and recesses formed upon the faces thereof, said projections on the face of the blocks of one course adapted to occupy said recesses formed in the face of the blocks of the adjacent course and interlock the two courses together when the blocks are forced endwise into the structure.

5. A building construction comprising wedged shaped blocks forming beveled surfaces adapted to exert a side pressure against the adjacent blocks when thrust. endwise, said bloclts having tongues and grooves formed upon the edges thereof adapted to engage with the adjacent blocks arranged edge to edge, said blocks having projections formed upon the face thereof, said blocks having recesses formed in the face thereof between the said projections, a second course of blocks laid face to face with the blocks of the first course, said projections on the face of the blocks of one course adapted to occupy said recesses formed in the face of the blocks of the ad jacent course and interlock the tWo courses together when the blocks are forced endwise into the structure.

6. A circular building construction comprising hexagonal wedged shaped blocks having tongues and grooves formed in the side edges thereof adapted to engage with similar wedged shaped blocks laid edge to edge, said blocks having projections and recesses formed in the face thereof, an intermediate course of wedged shaped blocks having projections and recesses formed in opposite faces thereof, an inner course of wedged shaped blocks having projections and recesses formed in the face thereof, and said projections on the face of the blocks of one course adapted to occupy said recesses formed in the face of the blocks of an adjacent course and lock the courses together when the blocks are forced endwise into the structure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 4 MILTON ROY SHEEN. 

